Just Like Jazz
by LisaDouglas
Summary: Young Fiona's new husband isn't what he seems. AU set in 1984/Faxeman.


Chapter One- Strictly Supreme Business

June 1984

"Nothing's ever going to be the same again, now is it?" Fiona confided, kissing her sleeping baby's cheek softly.

Misty sighed, her head slumped over to the side, reminding her Mother that she was fast asleep and couldn't really understand what she was saying anyway. But then again, that was Fiona's point in talking to Misty: she couldn't understand.

"Mommy doesn't really know what she's going to do…" Fiona confided. "Without your Daddy..."

It was late at night and Fiona had gotten her baby out of her crib because she couldn't sleep. She was lonely and needed someone to cuddle and talk to, someone who would never tell her secrets. Eighteen-month old Misty Goode was just perfect for that.

Fiona had barely been able to pull herself together since it had happened. She'd spent the last few nights drinking herself into a stupor because she couldn't face the reality of it…it had only been yesterday, when she'd been too hung over to help deal with her husband's final affairs, that she'd realized she needed something totally different to comfort her. And that night, that something different was her baby girl, Misty.

"I know no one sees it this way…especially not your big sister but…Mommy's really hurting Misty…I've never loved anyone like I loved your Father and I never will again…" She said, playing with Misty's blonde curls. Misty sighed and Fiona sniffled.

"That's why Mama's going to go on a trip tomorrow, Misty. On Supreme business." She lied.

The trip wasn't on Supreme business…it almost never was. It was always personal and purely for fun. Fiona used her position as Supreme as an excuse to forego other responsibilities, like being a Mother, something her husband had never tired of reminding her of when he was alive.

"Maybe it will help Mama get her mind off of it all huh?..." Fiona paused. "What did the two of ya do to deserve a Mother like me?" She had to ask. Fiona's never uttered this secret fear to anyone before, not even her husband.

Fiona secretly worried about this. She knew she was a horrible Mother and hated herself for it. It was what accounted for her strained relationship with her older daughter, Delia, and what she knew would eventually ruin the bond she had with the baby. That's one reason why she was holding her and whispering to her late at night…she was loving her while Misty would allow her to, knowing that sooner or later, she would come to hate her as Delia did.

The truth was that Fiona actually loved her girls more than anything, in the whole world. But, she couldn't sacrifice enough of herself to make that love count for them, no matter how hard she tried. Her husband had been the glue that had held their family together. He was a sweet man who lavished his daughters with the kind of love that their Mother tried to convey, but which was lost in translation. What had amazed Fiona, was that had loved and understood her despite all that. In fact, no one had ever loved or understood her in the way he had.

Fiona was understandably devastated at the loss of such a wonderful man, one who'd been her best friend and her lover. She didn't think she would ever be able to love a man in the same way again…Most importantly though, she had no clue how she was going to raise these girls without him. They certainly wouldn't grow up the way they deserved to grow up. Fiona's deepest fear now, one she would never even utter to a sleeping Misty, was that they'd grow up not ever feeling loved by anyone.

"You had the most wonderful, dedicated Daddy in the whole world, did you know that Misty? The same can't be said for your Mother. You didn't deserve to loose him…it should've been me." Fiona admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks.

…

Delia Goode sat unnoticed under the black baby grand piano in the entry room, hugging her legs tightly and watching as the maid helped her Mother with her coat.

"Delia, where are you…come say good-bye to Mama!" Fiona called.

Delia elected to stay hidden and just stare…she couldn't believe her Mother was leaving after what had just happened. The decision solidified the hate she already felt in her heart for her Mother. Daddy had been the one she'd loved. "Mama!" Misty squealed excitedly. Delia watched as her baby sister laughed and pointed up at their Mom.

"Good-bye Misty my darling." Fiona smiled, picking her up and kissing her cheek. "Mama will see you in a couple of weeks, alright?...Delia, I'm giving you another chance to say good-bye."

"Bye Fiona." She mumbled under her breath.

"Mrs. Goode, your plane leaves in less than an hour. We best be leaving expediently." Her driver informed, peaking his head inside the door. Fiona sighed.

"Very well." She said, kissing Misty's cheek a second time. "Good-bye my little witch babies." She said, handing Misty to the maid.

Misty didn't understand and wanted her Mommy. She was angry and confused and began to scream as soon as her Mother handed her off.

"Oh good-bye sweetheart; it's alright." Fiona soothed, waiving as she walked out the door.

The maid put a sobbing baby Misty down and left the room as soon as the door shut. Delia crawled out from under the piano and opened her arms for her baby sister who ran into them.

"Mama!" Misty reached hopelessly for the door.

"Good-bye Fiona." Delia said, hugging her sobbing toddler sister. "I hope you die too."

Misty's sadness changed to anger in the next few moments, she narrowed her little eyes as she gazed toward the door. The last few days had been confusing for her. She had no idea where Daddy was she looked for him everywhere and now here Mommy was, leaving her at a time like this!

"Ahhhhh!" Misty shrilled and began punching her little fists in a fit of rage as she started to cry again.

Delia quickly ducked under the piano and covered her ears, knowing now what was coming. Delia and her Father had never been totally sure how she did it exactly, but Misty seemed to be coming into her powers at an exceedingly young age. They'd only recently discovered that her toddler rage could cause glass to shatter and they'd even more recently realized that she could make things fly across the room: something that only much older witches could usually do.

Once the storm had calmed and the room was covered in broken glass, Delia crawled back out from under the piano. Misty was still crying and was even more confused. All she'd wanted was her Mom and now everything was broken, even she didn't understand how that happened….Delia pulled the baby back into her arms.

"Misty remember what Daddy told you? Huh? He said not to do that." Delia reminded tearfully. "He said it would make Mommy really, really upset because she knew you had power and that you had to stop."

"Dada?" Misty asked, sucking on her fingers now, she looked around anxiously for any sign of him.

"No! No Misty he's _NOT_ here. He's not here…." Delia paused after saying it a second time as to allow it to fully settle in her mind. She sniffled and wiped the tears away from her eyes as she continued. "But you can't do that. He said it would make her real upset. And I don't care if she gets upset, you shouldn't either…but then there's Daddy. We need to do what he says even though he's not here, understand? Daddy said no."

Misty looked back up at her sister, deeply confused.

"Please Misty." Delia begged, hugging her sister tight. "I'm afraid she'll hurt you if she thinks you're the next Supreme… I know that must be why Daddy said it should be a secret…she'll get real scared and upset if she knows how powerful you are…a-and you can't let that happen because you're all I have left."

…

There were a number of reasons why Fiona was supremely unhappy with the way things had been in the short time since her husband had died. For one thing, she was aware of her daughter's burgeoning powers (although her husband had had no idea she knew) and she wondered how she would deal with them without him there to help her.

In truth, she was upset about her daughter's apparent abilities. Even she, the most powerful Supreme in history, had not been nearly as gifted with her powers at Misty's age. Surely, the toddler's skills posed a threat to her…at the same time; Fiona couldn't deny the sense of maternal pride that arose in her at the thought that her daughters, both of them, were as powerful or even more so, than she. She knew that certainly, she'd produced the next Supreme in one of those girls…and that met that her time on this earth was going to be cut short by one of them.

Fiona couldn't describe the kind of emotion that that brought out, or how much it confused her. It made her scared to death and immensely proud at the same time. And it caused her to have a deep seeded hate for the two people she'd brought into the world and loved more than anything…the only thing that had balanced that for Fiona was her husband….how was she supposed to go on without him?

Fiona didn't like the idea, but she decided she was going to move on quickly and find someone new to share her life and raise her girls with….Before she'd left the house, she'd decided she was going to start moving on…on this very trip. Fiona quietly admitted to herself that no one could ever take the place of the man she lost. She wanted to sniffle for a moment but cut off the emotion quickly, not allowing it to register let alone overtake her. She straightened her black pencil skirt and adjusted herself in her seat as she heard the plane's engines turn on.

The aircraft was preparing to take off and the seat next to her in the first class cabin had not been taken. Fiona smiled to herself, thinking it might be nice to sit alone for a transatlantic flight. She sighed and closed her eyes, laying her head back. She hadn't let herself have time to just sit and think, not while not holding a child, and certainly no while sober…. it took mere seconds for her to realize she didn't much like it.

Fiona couldn't kid herself. She gripped the edge of the seat, her eyes still closed, wishing the man she'd lost were next to her, his hand holding hers as they took off to go to Paris. Fiona sighed, deciding that she would return to her premarital, philandering ways instead of grieving for much longer. Yeah. Fooling around. That would certainly bring her some much-needed peace. There were nice, wealthy eligible men everywhere, right?

"Your seat, Mr. Renard." Fiona opened her eyes when she heard the steward direct someone to the seat next to her.


End file.
